The present invention relates to a track assembly and, in particular, to an improved endless track assembly that rotationally couples to a vehicle drive power source and pivotally couples to a chassis support and whereby the chassis support accommodates heavy weight vehicles and ambulatory equipment.
Track systems have been developed for use over soft and unprepared natural terrain by a variety of vehicles and equipment in different recreational, commercial, farm and military applications. Such vehicles and equipment can include wheels and/or endless track assemblies to achieve traction over off-road surfaces with relatively low surface pressure at the contact surfaces of the drive train. For example, large capacity people haulers, trailers, manure spreaders, irrigation systems, and military vehicles include tracks. Many devices use tracks that extend a substantial length of the equipment and are supported by a single drive roller and/or numerous idler rollers. The vehicle/equipment weight is generally concentrated at the several axle-bearing surfaces that extend from the vehicle/equipment. That is, the vehicle weight is supported at the relatively small surface area of several drive train axles, while the loading relative to the ground is determined at the larger surface area of the track to ground interface.
The difficulty with such axle support assemblies is that the chassis/equipment weight is supported by one or more bearing supports having relatively small surface areas. The weight of many types of vehicles and equipment however can exceed the loading tolerances of the bearing surfaces, unless more expensive bearing supports are used. Alternatively, a large number of less costly bearing supports can be designed into any piece of equipment.
Desirably a mounting is required whereby a bearing support with a large surface area is mounted intermediate the chassis of the vehicle/equipment to off-load the primary weight from the bearings of the drive/idler axles. The present improved track assembly was developed to accommodate the foregoing need and provide a track assembly wherein the vehicle weight is supported at a chassis to track assembly bearing surface.
The improved track assembly provides a framework having a number of idler rollers that extend from and are displaced along a track frame to support an endless track. A separate drive sprocket/drum mounts to a rotational drive power source at the vehicle/equipment and controls track movement. The weight of the vehicle is supported by a flange that extends from the chassis and cooperates with a complementary surface of the track framework. An intermediate bearing liner mounts between the flange and track framework. The bearing support surface of the track framework allows the track frame to pivot relative to the chassis independent of the drive sprocket/drum and/or idler wheels.